Forever Chemicals
Maybe your family is packing up for a move to Alabama, maybe you've lived here for years and finally want to know what you've been drinking, or maybe you just typed a worried question at midnight. Whatever brought you, the office behind these rules has a name: the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, ADEM, which runs the state's public water supply program under the federal limits it administers. The figures below come from federal testing, not from us, and they don't render a verdict on any single tap. They're a starting point worth reviewing when you're evaluating an address — plain records, no spin.
EPA's UCMR 5 program (2021–2024) tested 43 public water systems in Alabama for 29 PFAS compounds; 10 reported at least one detection and none exceeded the 2024 federal limit of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (a 23% detection rate). Detections vary by water system — check the utility serving a specific Alabama address.
In Alabama, the office that administers drinking-water rules is the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), which runs the state's public water supply program and reports up to the federal EPA. Alabama tends to lean on the federal framework rather than setting its own enforceable PFAS limits, so for most residents the numbers that apply are the federal ones ADEM administers — the April 2024 rule that capped PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion. That keeps things simpler to follow: one rulebook, one named office, and a clear line back to who is responsible.
Numbers below come straight from EPA UCMR 5 monitoring (2021–2024). Every public water system in Alabamaserving more than 3,300 people had to test for 29 different PFAS — here's what they reported.
43
Water systems tested
UCMR 5 (2021–2024)
10
Systems with any PFAS detected
23% detection rate
0
Systems exceeding 2024 MCL
Above 4 ppt PFOA/PFOS
8
Distinct PFAS compounds detected
Of 29 monitored under UCMR 5
0
TRI-reporting PFAS facilities
EPA Toxics Release Inventory 2024
1
DoD PFAS installations
Military PFAS contamination sites
Red triangles are military installations the Department of Defense has flagged for PFAS from firefighting foam. Orange dots are industrial facilities that reported PFAS to the EPA Toxics Release Inventory. If your future home sits near a cluster, that's a conversation worth having with the seller or landlord.
These are the Alabamautilities where EPA testing found PFAS the most often or at the highest levels. Being on this list doesn't automatically mean today's tap water is unsafe — some systems have added treatment since these samples were taken — but it means a conversation with the utility is worth having before you move in.
| Water system | Detections | Max value (ng/L) | vs 2024 MCL |
|---|---|---|---|
| PRATTVILLE (WATER WORKS BOARD OF) | 7 | 0.09 | Below MCL |
| MARBURY WATER SYSTEM, INC. | 7 | 0.07 | Below MCL |
| WEAVER WATER SYSTEM | 3 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| BEULAH UTILITIES DISTRICT | 5 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| NORTH BALDWIN UTILITIES | 2 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| BELFOREST WATER SYSTEM | 2 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| LANETT WATER WORKS | 1 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| OXFORD WATER WORKS & SEWER BOARD | 1 | 0 | Below MCL |
| DAPHNE (UTILITIES BOARD OF THE CITY OF) | 1 | 0 | Below MCL |
| EAST ALABAMA WATER & FIRE PRO DISTRICT | 1 | 0 | Below MCL |
PFAS isn't one chemical — it's a family of thousands. Here are the specific compounds EPA picked up most often across Alabama water systems. PFOA and PFOS are the two with the strictest federal limits (4 parts per trillion).
For decades the military trained with AFFF firefighting foam loaded with PFAS. It soaked into soil and groundwater and, in many places, traveled miles. If you're house-hunting near any of these Alabama installations, the address report will tell you exactly how close.
AASF #1 R W Shepherd Hope Hull
Army
Looking at a specific Alabamacity? Each page below pulls the same federal data narrowed to that water system — useful whether you're relocating, buying, organizing your neighborhood around getting cleaner water, or just trying to find out what's in the tap and what's around you.
Here's how to read what the records show. The EPA's UCMR 5 round, run between 2021 and 2024, looked for 29 PFAS compounds, but only at public systems serving more than about 3,300 people. If you're on a private well or a small rural system — common across much of Alabama — nobody was required to test your water at all, so a quiet result above may simply mean no one looked. A detection logged in 2022 is also a snapshot, not necessarily what flows today; some systems have since added treatment. ADEM publishes well-water guidance worth a look if you draw your own. One small mercy: the alphabet soup of monitoring acronyms is worse than the chemistry behind it.
Yes. EPA UCMR 5 monitoring (2021–2024) tested 43 public water systems in Alabama; 10 had at least one PFAS detection. Detections vary by water system — check your specific serving utility.
Alabama largely follows the federal framework rather than setting its own enforceable PFAS drinking-water limits. For most residents that means the limits in force are the federal ones the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) administers — including the April 2024 rule capping PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion.
The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) runs the state's public water supply program and enforces drinking-water rules in line with federal EPA standards. Rather than adopting state-specific PFAS limits, ADEM tends to administer the federal limits, so the numbers that apply to your tap are the federal ones.
ADEM is the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, the state agency that oversees environmental programs including public drinking water. If you're trying to reach the office responsible for water quality in Alabama, ADEM is the one.
Use VetMyAddress to see the PFAS detections reported for the public water system serving any Alabama address, alongside nearby military bases and industrial PFAS sources. The data comes from EPA UCMR 5, EPA TRI, and the DoD PFAS installation report.
In April 2024 the EPA set the first enforceable federal limits for PFAS in drinking water: 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS, and 10 ppt each for PFHxS, PFNA, and HFPO-DA (GenX), plus a Hazard Index for certain mixtures. Public water systems must complete initial monitoring by 2027 and come into compliance after that.
No. The federal limits apply to public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own testing and treatment, which is especially worth doing near a known PFAS source like a military base or industrial site.
State numbers tell you the pattern. An address report tells you what's actually in the water at yourkitchen sink — the matched utility, the PFAS detections on file, and every military or industrial source nearby. Whether it's for your family, your neighbors, or peace of mind.
Data sources: EPA UCMR 5 bulk data · EPA TRI 2024 · DoD PFAS installation report